Sir Peter Soulsby has been automatically re-selected as Labour’s candidate for next year’s Leicester mayoral election.

Last night an internal selection process, which has dominated most political debate within the party for the last six weeks, concluded with a counting up of 61 local party branches and affiliate organisations such as trade unions.

There were 38 votes in favour of allowing Sir Peter, who is seeking a third term leading Leicester City Council, to stand in May 2019.

There were 23 branches and organisations backing an open selection process which would have allowed other party members to challenge Sir Peter for the right to get on the ballot paper.

After the count, at the Secular Hall in Humberstone Gate, the mayor said he was delighted to be re-selected.

However campaigners for open selection criticised the ‘Byzantine’ process and raised the prospect of challenging the result.

Sir Peter - re-selected (Image: Alex Hannam)

They said the majority of individual Labour members wanted open selection but had been over-ruled by union block votes.